Posted: 4/29/2005 8:56:58 PM EDT
| Anyone here ever do this on your own? I've got a chip with a couple short (1/4") cracks in my car windshield. Rather than taking it to one of those glass repair places, I am thinking of just fixing it myself. |
| I have a buddy in the business. I've watched him do it several times and I REALLY doubt you could do it yourself in a way that would last. The heating/cooling of summer and winter produce great stresses on the glass. The tools and techniques he used could not be duplicated with any kind of DIY kit. It's worth the $45, IMO. |
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I did a repair once with the auto-parts store kit (syringe type suction device). It didn't completely fix the problem, but it did keep the cracks from spreading much over the next few years, and made the "bullet" clear and undistorted so you could see through it. Jim |
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The epoxy kits work ok but will not completely remove the crack. These kits have 2-components you mix before injecting and require vacuum, made by drawing back on a syringe, to penetrate the crack. The better solution in the pressure system, made by Penzoil-Quaker State which uses a methacrylate resin that cures with UV. Don't have a UV light? No problem as sunlight works fine. This also works on cracks as long as you do it in a garage, away from sunlight and other UV sources. It remains liquid until exposed to UV and has incredible wetting action, allowing it to seep between the glass without any need for pressure. I got mine at Wal Mart. Its the same one used at Jiffy Lube so you might not be able to find it anymore. |